Gas and liquid separator



W. M. MOUNT GAS 'AND @QUID SEPARATOR Nov. 19, 1940.

Filed Jan. 14, 1939 f 1NVENTOR. BY y WczZe/MMUU/U,

Patenna'Nov. 19,1940 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv 2Claims.

The invention relates to separators and has more particular reference to improved apparatus for separating gas from crude'oi1.

An object of the invention is to pmvide ap- 5 paratus whichv will separate gas from crude oil and the like by intensive agitation and turbulence o! the oil and which will thereafter handle the gas in sucha manner as to remove any entrained moisture therefrom and prevent the l moisture from again being picked up by the gas is admitted to each stage at a high velocityv and which is utilized to remove any oil or moisture carried along in the gas.

With these and various other obiectsin view.

the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figur'e `1 is a view showing in elevation the internal construction of an oil and gas separator embodying the present invention, one-half of the cylindrical cover having been removed;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 2 -2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken 40 substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1 and Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 4 4 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawing, the gas separator of the invention is housed within a cylindrical tank identiiied by numeral I0, having a concave bottom Il and a top I2 of dome-shape and having formed in the cylindrical side wall I3 thereof a manhole `I4 provided with cover l5. The bottom Il is equipped with a drain I8 and the supporting structure I1 engages the bottom member to support-,the tank in a substantially vertical position. Y

Crude oil as it is taken from the well carries considerable gas along with it and before the Y oil is clarified or treated in any manner it is preferred practice to separate the gas therefrom. In the present apparatus two inlets, namely, I3 and 20, admit the crude oil or other liquid to the interior of the tank i3, each inlet having communication with a diversion boxv 2l located 5 i within the tank. Each diversion box has one open end and as best shown in Figure l, the same is directed downwardly to thereby direct the oil and gas downwardly and which also causes I the oil to spiral within the cylindrical tank i3. 10 The diversion boxes subject the oil to intensive agitation and turbulence with the result that the gas separates therefrom and ilows upwardly, the oilcontinuing to ow in a downward direction to the bottom of the tank. The liquid outlet 22 will l5 conduct the oil from the tank and deliver the same to other apparatus for further processing. The gas separated from the oil, as a result of the turbulence of the oil, will generally carry along with it considerable moisture and oil in iinelydi- 2i) (l vided form and the present apparatus` subjects the separated gas to intensive processing in order to separate therefrom all entrained'moisture and,

'the like.- This treatment of the gas .is .accomplished in one or more stages and theseparated 25 liquid is collected in each stageand prevented from further contact with the'lgas.

The upper portion of the present separator is provided with three baflies 2|, 25 and 26 of arcuate or dome-shape, and each baille is positioned so that the concave side thereof is directed downwardly. The curvature of these bames may be approximately the same as that of the top l2 of the tank. The upper side of each dished baille supports a baille pan which is welded or otherwise secured thereto. Accordingly, the baflle 2t supports a baille pan 21 andthe other pans are identified by numerals 28 and 29 for thel remaining two baies, respectively. The gas from the lower part of the tank carrying entrained oil and moisture 40 is admitted to the first stage of the present apparatus through upwardly directed inlet 30 passing through the baille 24 and located centrally thereoi. Since the'pres'ent separator has two inlets for the crude oil or other liquid a large quantity- 4of oil can be handled and thus the volume of gas separated from the oil will be relatively large. The inlet 30 is restricted in size in order'that the velocity of ilow through the same will be high. The dished baille 25 is positioned over the inlet 50 30 and-the gas issuing therefrom will be caused to strike the concave underside of said baille.

Impact of the gas against the concave surface of the baille 25 is such as to discharge the nely 'divided oil or water particles in a radial direction 55 outwardly, and as a result these particles now along the under surface of the dished baille in said direction and then downwardly along the inside of the cylindrical walls I3 of the tank. The baille 24 in eiect forms the bottom of the 'ilrst gas treating stage and the separated oil and moisture flowing downwardly on the inside ofthe cylindrical walls will be caught by the convexsurfaceof the dished baffle 24 and delivered thereby to the drain opening 3l provided by the outlet pipe 22. 'I'he gas having lost considerable of its entrained moisture will leave the rst stage through the outlet pipes 33 which pass through the baille 25 and depend a distance below the same. In the present embodiment three outlet pipes are shown, which, on the opposite side of the baille 25, converge and connect with the common discharge 34, which delivers the gas to the second treating stage of the present separator. Some of the moisture in flowing along the under surface of baille 25 will be obstructed by the outlet pipes 33 and this moisture will be caused to flow downwardly along the outside of said pipes. However, the moisture dropping from the end of these outlet pipes is caught by the baille pan 21 positioned on the convex surface of the baille 24. This moisture is collected by said baiile pan and the liquid is dislziarged by the drain pipe I5 to the outlet pipe The gas issuing from discharge 34 is also at a high velocity and is directed thereby against the concave under surface of baille 2B centrally thereof. Therefore in the second stage the gas is subjected to treatment similar to the -nrst stage, since any moisture or other finely divided particles of oil carried along with the gas will be discharged radially outward and caused to travel in this direction along the concave sui'-l face of baille 26, being eventually delivered to the inside surfaces of the cylindrical walls. This moisture is caught by the baille 25, having a drain opening provided by the outlet pipe Il. It will be seen from the foregoing that the impact of the high velocity gas against the dished surfaces of the baiiles separates the entralned moisture therefrom and imparts to said moisture-,movement in a direction which removes the same from further association with the gas. Also when the moisture has been caused to adhere to any moisture dripping from the ends of the de pending pipes 31 and delivers the same through the drain-pipe 40 to outlet Il.

In the third stage of the present separator the gaslis again submitted to treatment similar to that described. However, in this stage the baille positioned over the discharge 38 is formedV by the dome top i2 of the tank. The high vvelocity gas is directed against the concave surface of the top I2 and if any moisture still exists in the gas the -same is discharged radially `outward and caused to travel in this direction until it is delivered to the cylindrical walls of the tank. The baille 2i collects the separated'moistlre which is delivered thereby to the drain provided by outlet pipe 42.

The baille pan 29k collects any moisture which may drip from the gas discharge ll, or the other pipes positioned within this third stage and this moisture is conducted by the drain pipe 43 to pipe 42. The gas is removed from the third stage by the pipes 44 which converge to form the gas outlet 45 for the separator.

In the present separator the gas is processed in one or more stages to remove any nnely divided liquid which may be carried' along with the gas and for which purpose the gas is admittedv to each stage at a relatively high velocity. Thishigh l0 velocity of the gas and the position and shape of the bailles eifectively removes the entrained liquid and conducts the same in a direction outwardly so that further contact between the liquid and gas is prevented.` In the present embodil5 ment the baiiies are shown as dished with their concave side directed downwardly and thus the gas in each stage is directed against this undersurface of the baille. However, the invention isnot limited to the precise form of bane disclosed zo gas. The outlet pipes 32, 3l and 4 2 @terminate close to the bottom H oi' the tank andbelow the -outlet 22. Thr se pipes at their lower Iendvfdip into the liquid in the tank and are in effect closed to prevent the gas from the various processing stages escaping through these outlet pipes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gasv and liquid separator, a tank 4having an inlet for liquid located at substantially the mid-portion vof the tank, a vliquid outlet in the` base of the tank, meansassoeiated with the inlet for discharging-the'same within the tank so that 'any gas carried'iilong with the liquid will separate therefrom, means located within the tank above the liquid inletv for processing Ythe gas in v one or more stages to remove moisture and other `nely divided liquid therefrom, said means including a dished baille for each stage secured garound its periphery to the tank and having its concave surface directed downwardly. a discharge outlet for the gas terminating adjacent the concave surface of each baille and disposed substantially centrally of the same'. certain of said'bames having at least one outlet pipe passing therethrough andwhich conducts the gas from the processing stage below the baille and delivers the same to the discharge outlet above the banie, said Y. outlets discharging :thegas flowing therethrough .ata-relatively high velocity whereby the gas is vdirected against the baiiles to cause the moisture and other flnely divided liquid to separate by im'- pact, the top of said tank providing the baille fork the last processing stage, and said tank having a gas outletV at the upper end thereof for 'conducting the gas from said last mentioned Stage.'

2. In a gas and liquid separator, a tank having an inlet for liquid located at substantiallyy the mid-portion of the tank, a liquid outlet: inthe base of the tank, means associated with the inlet for discharging the same within the tank so that any gas carried along with the liquid will separate therefrom, means located within the tank above the liquid inlet for processing the gas in one or more( stages to remove moisture a'nd other 75 ner so that it will not be picked up again by the ,aaipao nely divided'iiquid therefrom, said means including a dlshed baille for each stage secured around its peripherytothe-tank andhaving its concave surface directed downwardly, a discharge outlet for the gas terminating adjacent the con- -oave surface of each baille and disposed substantially centrally of the same,` certain of said bailles having at least one outlet pipe passingy therethrough and which conducts the gas from the l0 processing stage below the baille and deiivefrs the gas to the discharge outlet above the baille, said outlets discharging the gas flowing therethrough at a relatively high velocity whereby the gas'is 'directed against the ballies to cause the moisture and other nely divided liquid to separate by impact, a drain' for conducting the separated liquid from each stage to the bottom of the tank, and said tank having an outlet for the gas at the upper end thereof.

WAL'l'ER M. MOUNT; 

